Ring puzzle device



May 10, 1955 E. o. NORDBY RING PUZZLE DEVICE Filed Aug. 20, 1954INVENTOR.

O. NQOEY This invention relates to puzzles, and more particularly to aring puzzle.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved ringpuzzle device which is relatively simple in construction, which involvesonly a few parts, and which provides an interesting and amusing puzzlewhich is fairly difficult to solve, which nevertheless has a specificand straightforward solution.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved ring puzzledevice which involves inexpensive components which may be readily andcheaply manufactured with simple machinery, which provides aconsiderable amount of entertainment for the user, and which presents aninteresting problem to a person not familiar with the solution of thepuzzle device.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent.from the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a puzzle device according to thepresent invention, shown with the inner ring arranged substantiallyconcentric with and coplanar with the outer ring and being engagedthrough the loops of the bail member.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the puzzle device of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the puzzle device of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the device of Figure 1 in anearly stage of the procedure of disengaging the inner ring from theouter ring and the loop of the bail member.

Figure 5 is a front elevational view showing a further stage of thesolution of the puzzle device.

Figure 6 is a front elevational view showing the ring member in a stillfurther stage of disengagement.

Figure 7 is a front elevational view showing the inner ring member inits last stage of disengagement prior to the removal of the inner ringmember from the bail member to produce the final solution of the puzzle.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3,the puzzle device, shown generally at 11, comprises a continuous innerring 12, and substantially larger outer ring 13 which is open at aportion thereof shown at 14, defining an upper arm portion 24 and alower arm portion 25, and a continuous bail member 15 having threeadjacent loops 16, 17 and 18 extending at substantial angles to eachother. As shown in Figure 2, the loops may be substantially rectangularin form and may be of a size large enough to freely receive the outerring 13 with the inner ring 12 arranged concentrically and coplanartherewith.

The respective outer loops 16 and 18 of the bail member terminate inrespective straight arm portions 19 and 20 which are of substantiallength and which project substantially in opposite directions from theloops, as shown in Figure 2. The length of the arm portions 19 and 20United States Patent 2,708,115 Patented May 10, 1955 are of the sameorder as the diameter of the inner loop 12 and may be equal to orslightly smaller than said diameter.

Designated at 21 is a bracket member having a loop 22 which is rotatablyengaged in a reduced portion in the outer ring member 13 locateddiametrically opposite the open portion 14 of said ring 13. The bracketmember 21 is formed with an eye 23 which rotatably and slidably engagesthe loop 16 of bail 15, as is clearly shown in Figure 1.

Respective loops 16, 17 and 18 are arranged in planes which aresubstantially perpendicular to the plane of the outer ring 13, theplanes of the respective loops 16, 17 and 18 being at substantialangles, of the order of ninety degrees, with respect to each other.

The device may be initially arranged as shown in Figure 1, with theinner ring 12 disposed substantially concentrically with the outer ring13, and extending through the respective loops 16, 17 and 18, asillustrated. The object of the device is to disengage the inner ring 12from the other portions of the device without forcing or distorting anyparts of the device. This may be accomplished as follows:

1. The inner ring 12 may be moved to the right from the position ofFigure 1 and placed behind the upper arm portion 24- and then passedthrough the opening 14 in the outer ring 13, as shown in Figure 4.

2. The inner ring 12 is then unhooked behind the arm 20.

3. The inner ring 12 is then rotated to bring said inner ring againstthe arm 1% below the arm 19, as shown in Figure 5, the upper portion ofthe inner ring 12 overlying the upper portion of the outer ring 13 andpassing through the loop 17.

4. The arm 19 is then moved rearwardly and unhooked from the inner ring12, being moved downwardly therefrom from the position of Figure 5.

5. The ring 12 is then passed around the loop 18 and through the opening14 as shown in Figure 6.

6. The ring 12 is then rotated on the loop 17 to the position thereofshown in Figure 7.

7. The ring 12 may then be slid and rotated along the loop 17 toward theloop 18, and around the loop 18 toward and off the arm 20, to completethe disengagement of the inner ring 12 and to free it from the otherelements of the device.

The ring 12 may be replaced to bring it back to the position thereofshown in Figure 1 by merely reversing the procedure above described.

While a specific embodiment of an improved ring puzzle device has beendisclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood thatvarious modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitationsbe placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A ring puzzle device comprising a continuous inner ring, asubstantially larger outer ring open at a portion thereof, a continuousbail member having three adjacent loops extending at substantial anglesto each other and having spaced straight ends projecting substantiallyin opposite directions, and means rotatably secured to the intermediateportion of said outer ring and rotatably and slidably connected to saidbail member, said inner ring being engageable in said three loops andbeing receivable within said outer ring.

2. A ring puzzle device comprising a continuous inner ring, asubstantially larger outer ring open at a portion thereof, a continuousbail member having three adjacent loops extending at substantial anglesto each other and having spaced straight ends projecting substantiallyin opposite directions, and means rotatably secured to the portion ofsaid outer ring opposite the opening in said outer ring and rotatablyand slidably connected to said bail member, said inner ring beingengageable in said three loops and being receivable within said outerring.

3. A ring puzzle device comprising a continuous inner ring, asubstantially larger outer ring open at a portion thereof, a continuousbail member having three adjacent loops extending at substantial anglesto each other, the outer two loops terminating in respective straightarm portions projecting substantially in opposite directions, and meansrotatably secured to the portion of said outer ring opposite the openingin said outer ring and rotatably and slidably connected to one of theloops of said bail member,

said inner ring being engageable in said three loops and beingreceivable substantially in coplanar concentric relation to and withinsaid outer ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

